Patent GB-628950-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to a machine for washing articles
IPC: D06F23/00
Filed: 1945-03-08
Abstract: 628,950. Washing- machines. ELECTRIC HOUSEHOLD UTILITIES CORPORATION. March 8, 1945, No. 5789. Convention date, June 14, 1944. [Class 138 (ii)] [Also in Group XXIII] A machine for use alternatively for washing clothes or washing dishes comprises a clothes receptacle 50 and clothes agitator 54, Fig. 1, adapted, respectively, to be detachably mounted on a high-speed shaft 23 and a low-speed shaft 24, a dish-washing liquid-circulating unit comprising two co-operating members 70, 71, Fig. 7, adapted to be detachably mounted on the shafts in place of the clothes receptacle and agitator, and a dish holder 60 for removable mounting in the machine so as to receive liquid from the said unit. The machine comprises a casing 27 within which two shafts 23, 24 are arranged in vertical coaxial relation. The inner shaft 24 is adapted for oscillation at slow speed or rotation either continuously or discontinuously in order to actuate the agitator during the clothes-washing operation, and drive the member 70 of the dish-washing unit during the dish-washing operation. The tubular outer shaft 23 is rotated at high speed to drive the clothes receptacle 50 during the water-extracting operation. Both shafts are driven from a motor 21 through mechanism contained in a casing 22 and controlled by the movement of a pointer 172, Fig. 2, over a dial 171. The entire power unit, including the motor, drive shafts, and the receptacles for the clothes and dishes, may be mounted independently of a supporting base 20 by a suspension such as is described in Specification 549,629, [Group II], excessive lateral movement of the unit being prevented by a resilient. bumper 56, Fig. 1, surrounding the central portion 34 of the casing. The clothes receptacle 50, Fig. 1, which has a central, open-ended, tubular member 52, is fitted over the tubular shaft 23 and rests on a flange 39 rigid with the shaft. A vaned tubular agitator 54 is passed over the tubular member 52 and operatively engages the shaft 24 at 41. During the clothes-washing operation, the shaft 23 and receptacle 50 are stationary, and the agitator is oscillated by the shaft 24 ; during the water-extracting operation, the receptacle is rotated by the shaft 23, and the shaft 24 is freed to permit the agitator to rotate with the receptacle. Water is flung out of the container through holes 51 and is removed from the casing through a drain 30 by a pump 32, For the dish-washing operation (see Group XXIII), the agitator and receptacle are replaced by a tray-shaped liquid-receptacle 71, Fig. 7, which is passed over the shaft 23 to rest on the flange 39 thereon ; a spider 73 having scoopelements 70 at the extremities of its arms is also mounted by an axial tubular member 72 in operative engagement with the shaft 24 at 41. The dish-holder 60, which is provided with a series of supports 61 for dishes and a hollow upstanding thimble portion 65 for protecting the drive shaft, is placed in the casing 27, being supported either independently or from a spray shield 62 carried by the casing. If desired, the shaft' 24 may be arranged to oscillate the agitator for clothes-washing, and provide the spider 73 with uni-directional rotation for dish-washing. Driving mechanism.-The motor 21 is reversible and drives a shaft 92, Fig. 5, carrying two worms 101, 102, of which one 101 is fast with the shaft while the other is connected thereto through a one-way clutch 104. The fast worm 101 drives the oscillatory shaft 24 through a worm wheel 111, Figs. 5 and 6, eccentric 115, block 116 and a yoke 117 which is pivoted on a shaft 119 and toothed at 122 to mesh with a pinion 123 on the shaft 24. The pinion is axially slidable on the shaft and is normally freely rotatable thereon, but, upon the energization of a solenoid 135, Figs. 1 and 7, is raised to engage its slotted hub 124 with a transverse pin 125 on the shaft. The rotatable shaft 23 is driven by the worm 102 in one direction of rotation of the motor only, for which purposes the worm meshes with a worm wheel 141 fast on the shaft. When the motor circuit is opened, a solenoid is de-energized to permit a brake block 150 to engage the shaft and bring it to rest. Machine control.-When the pointer 172, Fig. 2, is moved from " OFF " to " WASH " position, the motor drives the oscillatory shaft 24 through the worm 101 and clutch 124, 125. Movement of the pointer to " DRY " position, rotates the motor in reverse direction to drive both worms 101, 102 but, as the clutch 124, 125 is not engaged, only the rotatable shaft 23 is driven, the shaft 24 being free. In the " DISH WASH " position, the machine is conditioned as in the " DRY " position, except that the clutch 124, 125 is engaged and the shaft 24 oscillates. Specification 629,013, [Group XXIII], also is referred to. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 describes also the machine as being provided with a single drive shaft having a change-speed gear, whereby it may be driven at the necessary high and low speeds for the two washing operations. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.